Roxi's Story
by Tirien Kyela
Summary: The story of Roxi, her journey on the Neb, and her life outside of the Matrix
1. The Beginning

The Beginning

          This is the story of Roxanne (Roxi) Freeman.  This is my story.  My life leading up to my "rebirth"(when I was 17) and my life outside of the Matrix.  I'll start from the beginning to make it easier.

          My best friend, Demi Rusten, and I were always searching.  Always looking for the answer.  The answer to the question many people ask.  What is the Matrix?

          I knew one of us would find it first.  We were always excited when we found something out.  We really looked together.  We were a team.  But, one day she didn't show up for our daily search.  We had never missed a search.  I knew that it had happened.  She had found out and I was next.  Next to know.  I didn't know how I would find out.  It really wasn't what I expected.  But, what was there to expect?

It happened when I was in a café, drinking coffee.  Two men came up to me and sat down at my table.

          "Hi Roxi," the man with blond hair said.  He was handsome, with green eyes and a dimpled chin.  He had a soft, sensitive face, and was about 6".  The other man had chestnut hair and hazel eyes.  He was a little taller and had a beautiful mouth.  To say the least, both of them were vary good looking.

          "How do you know my name?" I asked, though I knew why.

          "You are in danger," the blond said, "If you want to know, meet us at the Millenium club tonight at midnight."

          "Know what?  What kind of danger?"  I knew they wouldn't answer.  It didn't matter, I knew what I was getting myself into.

          That night I got to the club at 11:58.  At midnight exactly a black car pulled up and I got in.  The same two men were in the car.

          "Glad you decided to show up Roxi.  Demi is already with us," said the man with brown hair.

          We drove to an old warehouse.  Then we climbed the stairs to the top floor.  At the door, the blond said to me, "Be honest with him, he knows more than you can imagine."

          The two men opened the door and I saw another man in the room.  I knew at once who he was.

          "Do you know who I am?" the man asked.

          "Morpheus," I replied simply.

          "Yes.  You know the question, that is clear.  But, do you know the answer?  Do you even want to know the answer?"  I nodded my head.  Of course I wanted to know.  "The Matrix is everywhere.  It is the air you breath, the food you eat.  It is with you when you got to church, go to school, go to work.  The matrix is in you and around you.  It is everything.  Now I can't explain it further because no one can be told what the Matrix is, they have to experience it for themselves.  Do you want to know what the Matrix is?"

          "Yes," I replied.  He opened up a silver box.  In that box was a red pill and a blue pill.

          "If you take the blue pill, you wake up and the story ends.  If you take the red pill, I'll show you how real your life is.  The choice yours, and yours alone."  I reached out and took the red pill.  A glass water appeared in front of me and I swallowed the pill.

          "Follow me," Morpheus said, "The pill you took is a tracking device.  Programmed to target you when you are outside of the Matrix."  

'Outside?  Weird,' I thought.  He took me into a room and hooked me up to some cables and a heart moniter.  

"Everything is not all it appears to be Roxi.  Many things in this world are not correct."  Correct?  Huh?  Then I saw the carpet move.

"The carpet, it just…"

"Yes," Morpheus said and he motioned for me to touch it.  I leaned forward and suck my finger at it.  It was cold and I pulled back.  It stuck to my finger and started creeping up my arm.

"It's so cold."

"She's going out," someone said.

"Cold. C-c-cold," then I passed out.

I woke up to very bright lights.  There were people standing over me.  I turned my head and saw Demi in a bed.  Then it all faded.

I woke with a start.  The blond man was shaking me. "Roxi?  Rise and shine.  I mean you've only been asleep for five months."

"Five months!  What about school?  What about work?" I paused, "Who are you?  Where am I?  Help!"

"Morpheus, she's awake!  Quite awake."  He laughed to himself.  He had a nice, melodic laugh.  Morpheus came in.

"Hello Roxi.  Welcome to the real world."  I sat up, "Come," he said.  I followed him through the ship.  "Everyone, this is Roxi.  Roxi, this is Neo, Trinity, Tank, Gemini, Gist, Calisto, Serenity, and Tessel.  Tessel and Calisto you already met."  Calisto was the blond and Tessel had the brown hair.

"Hi," I said to everyone, "Where's Demi?" 

"Right here," Demi laughed.  She looked so different with short hair.

"Demi!  Nice hair." I laughed.

"You too Rox.  Look at yourself."  She handed me a mirror.  My hair, my beautiful hair, was all gone.

"What happened to me?" I was really upset.

"The same thing that happened to all of us when got taken out,"  Morpheus said.  I was confused, "Don't worry about it Roxi.  It will grow back."  I yawned, "Tessel, will you show these young ladies their rooms please?"

"Yes sir," Tessel replied.  He took us down a hallway.  He slid a door back.  "This will be your room Demi."  He walked a few more steps down the hallway and slid another door open.  "And this will be your room."

"Thanks Tessel." I said wearily.

"If you need anything, anything at all.  Just ask Tess. 'K?"

"Ok," I replied.  And he turned to walk out of the room, "Tessel?  Were you scared when you first were taken out?  And who old are you anyway?"

"Yes, I was scared.  Everyone is.  It's normal.  And I'm 22."

"Thanks Tessel."

"Sure thing hun."  I lay down and fell asleep.


	2. Training

Roxi's Story

By Larkin Flora

Disclaimer: Trinity, Tank, Neo and Morpheus are not mine(too bad). Roxi, Demi, Calisto, Tes, and Gemini are my original characters (with the help of Amanda)

Training

I woke to the sound of screeching metal.  Tessel walked in.

"Good morning sunshine.  Sleep well?" I nodded, "Good, you need the energy.  You've got training today."  

Oh boy, training.  Just what I need, sore muscles, I thought

"Don't worry.  It'll be easy.  You'll just get worn out."

"Oh, I won't worry.  Trust me," 'I hope I can take his word,' I thought.

I followed Tessel into the mess room.  He gave me a bowl with some slop in it.  I didn't care what it was, I was so hungry.  So, I just slurped the whole thing down.

After breakfast, I went into the control room.  Tank told me to sit down in a chair.  Morpheus did the same. 

 "This may feel a little weird," said Calisto, who was working behind my chair.  

He stuck something into my neck and I screamed.  Then, it was all over. I was in a white room.  Morpheus was standing across from me and two leather chairs were in between us.

"Welcome to the construct.  This is our loading system.  We can load anything from weapons, to cloths, to hair," Morpheus said.

"You mean, we're in a computer?"  I was scared.

"Is it really so hard to believe?  Your hair is long again.  Your cloths are different.  You are in what we call residual self image."  He motioned for me to sit and then flipped on the TV that had appeared.  "This is the world as you know it.  The world as it was at the end of the 20th century," he changed the channel, "This is the real world," We were suddenly sitting in the middle of it all.  The great expanse of scorched buildings and sky with constant lightning and clouds.  It was terrible.

"Around 2000 man created AI.  We rejoiced in our superiority wile the AI grew in intelligence and numbers.  We don't know who struck first, us or them.  But, we do know we scorched the sky.  At the time, it was believed that AI could not survive without such an important and powerful source of energy as the sun.  But, we were wrong.  A human carries enough energy to feed the AI. And with millions of humans on earth, they never needed anything else again.  So what we fight for is to free the human race from the bondage of slavery.  You were a slave Roxi.  Before we took you out of the Matrix, you were a slave.  Our job is to stop the machines from turning humans into this," he held up a battery.

"Well, at least we're long lasting," I said trying to remain calm.

"Tank, take us out," Morpheus called.  Then it went black.  Wen I opened my eyes, we were back in the control room.

"You will have your training now," said Morpheus, "Tank, load her up."

"You ready for this?" asked Tank.

"As ready as I'll ever be." And I started my training.

Tessel was right, I was tired by the end of the day.  I went into the mess room and inhaled two bowls of the slop.  Then I went to bed.

I woke up the next morning when Tessel woke me.  I hadn't even hear him open the door.

"Time to finish your training.  Normally this would take at least a week but you are getting the concepts well.  Like Neo did," he smiled at me, "Come on bed head.  You'll need your energy again.  Go eat."  He shooed me out of my room to the mess hall.

I ate a bowl a slop, finally realizing that it tasted like nothing.  Then I went to the control room.

"Good morning Roxi," said Morpheus, "Today you'll do a little fighting practice.  Trinity will be going in with you.  You can practice fighting her and as you get better, you will fight Neo.  He has speed similar to an agent's.  Good luck"  And I got loaded into the program.

"You ready to fight?" asked Trinity.

I got into my starting stance, "Quite." I bowed my head slightly the took a leap at her.  She easily jumped out of the way. She kicked me and I flipped her.  Then we blocked each others punches, kicks.  We ended up in a draw.  Both of us breathing heavily.

"You fight well Roxi.  Quite well.  Later we'll see how you do against Neo."

"Thank you.  You too."

"Tank," Trinity said, "Take us out."


	3. Reality

Reality

          I finally hit me that my whole life had been a lie.  The places I ate, my apartment, my school, my work, all were part of the Matrix.  Damn the Matrix.

It first came to me when I was fighting Trinity.  My strength and speed was different.  That made me think and I got to thinking about my past life.  My life in the Matrix.  And I came to realize what it was.  My life had been false, fake, fraud.

Tomorrow I would be fighting Neo.  Soon we would be going into the Matrix and I need to practice against someone with strength and speed close to and agent.  But right now I was lying in my bed thinking again.  I heard my door open and sat up. It was Tessel.

"I noticed that you were really quiet during dinner then went directly to your room after dinner.  Is something wrong? Wanna talk?" he seemed so sincere.

"Sure, we can talk," I replied in an almost whisper, "It just finally hit me what my life has been."

"Ah," he said, "The 'My whole life has been a lie' syndrome. I went through the same thing.  I was told Neo did to," he chuckled.

"I'm just so scared Tessel.  I'm scared, overwhelmed, and…"  He was staring at me and smiling to himself, "What?  Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" he said shyly.

"Like a boy who's just met a beautiful, popular girl."  He blushed, smiled, then leaned forwards and kissed me.  He pulled back then pulled me forwards to him.  He kissed me and I kissed back.

I heard someone outside my door.  They knocked and Tess and I pulled apart.

"Come in," I said.  It was Demi.  She saw Tess and me embracing and smiled.

"OK then, I'll just leave you two alone now."

"No Demi.  Come here," I said, "What did you come for."

"Oh nothing.  Calisto was looking for you, I think to prep you for tomorrows fight, but I'll just tell him your busy right now. 'K?"

"'K," I smiled, "See you round Demi."

"Bye, bye," and she left.  Tessel and I resumed are embrace and laid down.  This was to be the best night so far in my life.  I had an answer and friends.  Who could ask for more?  Except for true love.


	4. The Fight

Roxi's Story

By Larkin Flora

Disclaimer: Trinity, Tank, Neo and Morpheus are not mine(too bad). Roxi, Demi, Calisto, Tes, Creator, Serenity, Sorrow and Gemini are my original characters (with the help of Amanda)

The Fight

          I woke in the morning with Tessel by my side.  He was still sleeping and I brushed his hair back with my finger tips. He opened his eyes and smiled.  I kissed him on the forehead the nose and then the lips.

          "Good morning," I said happily, "Time to get up sleepyhead. I fight Neo today!  Oh boy, any tips?"

          "Yeah, fight your hardest.  Oh, and if he jumps over you, turn and kick.  Works every time."

          "Ok thanks. I think I'm gonna go get some slop now.  Want to come?"

          "Na, I'll pick some later. I got to go check in on the control room," he smiled and laughed, "See you 'round Roxi." And he walked out.

          I decided not to waste any time, I wanted as much advice on today's fight as possible. "Lets see, Demi said Calisto wanted to talk to me.  Ok then, I'll go see him." I walked to the mess hall first, Calisto never missed a meal.  I walked in. There he was.

          "Hey Roxi! I have some tips for you. Ya know, on today's fight."

          "Yeah, Demi told me." He got up and took my hand.  
          "Come on, lets go somewhere else to talk," he laughed and looked behind us, "Just incase anyone wants to here these tips, we'll be in my room."

          "Ha, ha, ha. Very funny Calisto. Like I need to know what your telling her. Roxi, I've heard what he has to say and it's not worth it. I would be the best person to ask about how to fight me today." Neo smiled, "After all, I am The One."

          "Yeah, yeah. We all know how great you are at fighting.  I only hear the stories what, every day," Trinity said in mock annoyance.

          "Oh come on Trin, you know you love me."

          "Oh you know…" This would be interesting but Calisto was urging us to get a move on so I left.

          We went into his room and he shut the door, which I found a little odd.

          "Uh, Roxi?" Calisto said, more than a little embarrassed, "This isn't exactly about the fight, I just wanted you to know that I like you. I like you a lot."

          "Oh, uh, well, um…" what do you say to your lovers best friend? "Calisto, Tes and I are, well, we're together."

          "Oh. I should have figured. Well, what can I say to that? Uh, sorry for that, I guess. I'll see you later." I took the hint and left.

          I fought poorly; I had too much on my mind.  Two guys were practically falling at my feet.  What was I supposed to do, just forget about it?

          Trinity wasn't in a good mood when I came out.

          "What the hell were you doing in there? You can fight better than that. What's wrong with you?"

          "I just am having an off day. Everyone has off days."  I started to tremble; I was trying not to cry. I wanted to scream at her and run to my room, but I new a temper tantrum wasn't going to get me anywhere.  Trinity apparently noticed.

          "Uh oh. We need a girl talk." She took my arm and pulled me along to my room. I sat down on my bed and started to full out cry. She just rocked me and waited until I was done. 

          Finally I was all cried out, so I pulled out of the hug, and wiped my eyes.

          "What's wrong, dear heart?"

          "I, I think I may be," sniff, "In love."


End file.
